Under different circumstances, probably
with a more veteran team, Spencer would succeed. Every coach has their
strengths and weaknesses, at this point of his coaching career I would
have to say coaching young talent is not (yet) one of his. Combine that
with an almost determination to rotate the line up where a starting
line up is an unknown quantity and the result is this.

Spencer was great for the first year to
establish the franchise, however, something had to give. You can't
continue to add players and get the same results. I would had preferred
to had happened at the end of the year, but it is what it is.

I am not sure that this is the answer to
the Timbers problems. But sports are results orientated and the Timbers
have not been getting the results they needed. But, is a new coach
actually going to kick the ball in the net for the players? At some
point the Timbers players have to get the job done, a coach can only do
so much.

When after a year and a half, a coach still
can't find a consistent strategy and lineup, and the same old problems
persist not matter who we sign and who is on the field, that is usually a
coaching problem. I was willing to give Spencer until the end
of the year if Paulson thought he was good enough to turn things around,
but if change is inevitable, might as well do it now, instead of later,
and get started with wherever we're going.

If the goal is to produce winning seasons
immediately, then the answer is not hiring a new coach, but spending
exorbitant amounts on veteran players. If the goal is to produce a club
that will have longevity and success over the long run, then the
requirement is patience, which seems to be lacking.